Mine car



Jar-1. 12, 1937'. w H, STATLER MINE CAR Filed Jan. 6,' 1932 5Sheets-Sheet 1 lllllllllllllll Jan. 12, 1937.' w. H. sTTLER MINE CAR 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. e, 1932 Jan. 12, 1937. w H, STATLER 2,067,249

MINE CAR Filed Jan- 6. 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan. l2, 1937. w. H.sTATLER MINE CAR Filed Jan. 6, 1932 5 `sheets-'sheet 5 llllllml u K5 vaiEN,... w

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Patented Jan. 12, 1937 PATENT OFFICE MINE CAR Walter H. Statler,Johnstown, Pa., assignor to Bethlehem Steel Company, a corporation ofPennsylvania Application January 6 6 Claims.

My invention relates to the construction of mine cars and moreespecially to that type of mine car which is equipped with a swingingend gate that is automatically latched when closed and which is adaptedto be automatically tripped to open for the purpose of releasing the carloading as it arrives at the unloading bins or chutes.

An object of my invention is to provide means in combination with anend-gate latching mechanism which first automatically engages the latchoperating means provided at the unloading bins or chutes for the purposeof unlatching the end-gate, and thereafter automatically disengages thelatch operating means as the car assumes its unloading position.

A further object of the invention relates to the manner of constructinga portion of the -axle mountings by means of a downwardly projectingsteel plate riveted to the side sills and reinforced on the inside by apressed steel plate bracket. This construction being arranged in pairsat each axle housing and the pairs being united by a flat bar attachedto the bottoms of the brackets.

Another object of my invention relates to the floor sill and bumperconstruction in having the floor and side sills extend beyond each endof the car and in utilizing these sill extensions to attach bumpermembers thereto with the result that a very rugged design is obtained inwhich the shocks received by the bumpers are most eiiciently distributedthroughout the full length of the car.

Other objects of my invention relate to certain novel features ofconstruction, combination, and arrangement of parts which will behereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in theappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying five sheets ofdrawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a mine car embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same car;

Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation with axles and axle mountings removed.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation;

Fig. 5 is a part transverse section taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a part vertical section through a bumper taken along the line6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a part horizont-al section taken along the line 'I-'I of Fig.4;

Fig. 8 is a part vertical section taken along the line 8-8 of Fig. 4;

, 1932, Serial No. 585,015

(Cl. 10S-364) Fig. 9 is a plan view enlarged showing the detailstructure of the spring draw-bar mechanism;

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional elevation taken along the line Ill-Iof Fig. 9; and

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional elevation taken along the line II-IIof Fig. 1.

In the drawings the numeral Ill indicates the mine car in which isembodied my improvements, and in Fig. 2 the mine car I is shown inposition at the automatic unloading point of the tipple. The automaticunloading means is not a part of my invention and any arrangement wouldbe suitable which would comprise a car tilting device such as thetilting platform II, and a latch operating mechanism such as the biasedlever device I2, shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2.

The floor of the car I0 comprises a steel topplate I3, a steelbottom-plate I4, and an intermediate wood plank lling I5, rivetedtogether as at I6. The sides I'I of the car I0 are formed each of asingle steel plate having its upper edge portion bent or rolled over toform a tubular top edge I8 with the edges I9 bent flat against theoutside of the side sheet and riveted thereto. The lower edges of thesides I'I are riveted to upturned side flanges 2U of the bottom plateIII.

The rear car-end 2| is formed of a single steel plate and has its upperedge portion bent in the same manner as just described for the sidesI'I, while the bottom edge is secured to the oor by means of an anglebar 22', the vertical leg of which is riveted to the bottom edge of therear car-end 2I while the horizontal leg is inserted between the bottomplate I4 and the plank lling I and is included in the riveting thereof.The rear vertical edges of the sides II and the adjacent vertical edgesof the rear car-end 2| are joined together and reinforced by an anglebar 22 riveted thereto.

Attached to the inside of the front upper corners of the sides I'I arethe shaft support brackets 23. The brackets 23 extend above the top edgeof the sides I'I and are adapted to receive the shouldered and threadedends 24 of the shaft 25. The shaft 25 is secured in the brackets 23 bythe cottered nuts 26, and by reason of the shouldered engagement, theshaft 25 acts to maintain the upper front corners of the sides I1 inrigid spaced relation.

The front end of the car Ill is closed by a swinging end or door 21. Thedoor 21 comprises va steel plate 28 having its upper edge bent to theoutside in the same manner as hereinbefore described ior the upper edgesof the sides I1, while its lower edge is similarly bent but in anopposed direction. Riveted on the inside face of the plate 28 at the topare the hinges 29 which in turn are pivotally mounted upon the shaft 25.Collars 38 integral with the shaft 25 engage opposed faces of the outerpair of hinges 29, thus positioning the door 21 in relation to the sidesI1. For stiffening purposes angle bars BI at the ends, and a pressedsteel recessed plate or stake 32 at the vertical center, are riveted tothe inside face of the plate 28. For latching the door 21, the keeperplates 33 are riveted to the outside of the sides I1 at the lower frontcorners. On the front face of the plate 28 at the lower corners areriveted the latch guides 34 which guide the o uter ends of thesubstantially horizontal latches 35 while their inner ends are pivotallyattached to a vertical latch slide bar 36 by suitable means 31. Thelatch slide bar 36 is slidably mounted in the guides 38 and 39 rivetedto the outside face of the plate 28 on the vertical center. The upperend 48 4of the latch slide bar 36 is bent outward for a purpose tobehereinafter described. Also riveted on the outside face of the plate 28on either side of the vertical center and just above the guide 38 arethe cam brackets 4l having the upward and outward sloping edges 42, thepurpose of which will hereinafter be described.

To give added rigidity and strength, a pressed steel recessed plate orstake 43 similar to the stake 32 on the door plate 21 is riveted to theinside face of the rear end plate 2 I. A similar stake 44 is riveted toeach side plate I1 on the outside at the center, while other similar butlonger stakes 45 are positioned midway of each half of and one at thefront of each oi the side plates I1. The

-stakes 45 extend downward below the floor-line and are there riveted tocantilever brackets to be described hereinafter. l I y Outer floor sills46 and inner oor sills 41 run lengthwise of the car and extend beyondVthe oor limits at each end. Standard ship channels are utilized for theouter sills 46 while commercial structural channels are utilized for theinner sills 41. The floor sills 46 and 441 are positioned with theirwebs vertical and having their upper flanges riveted to the bottom-plateI 4. lOther rivets 48 placed at intervals along the sills 46 embrace inaddition the plank-lling I5 and the top-plate I3. It will be noted thatthe sills 48 and`41 divide the area beneath the oor longitudinally intove substantially equal spaces which proportionally distributes thestrength and support of the sills to the floor.

It will also be 'noted that each 4of these spaces is utilized for oneofthe various structural elements of the tractive gear. The center spacehouses at each end a spring draw-bar mechanism 49. The outer spacesover-lie the wheels 50 and the brake mechanism 5I, while theintermediate spaces extended include the bumpers 52.

The spring draw-bar mechanism 49 shown in enlarged detail in Figs. 9, l0and 11 comprises a draw bar 52 adapted at its outer end 53 for aconventional car coupling and at its inner end 54 for a key 55 retainedin place by cotters 58. 'I'he shank 51 of the draw bar 52 is square vincross-section and has slidably mounted thereon in pairs the yoke-plates58. For the purpose of ready assembly the bearing aperture 59 of theyoke-plates 58 for the shank 51 is open to one side, and as assembled inpairs the open side of compression springs 68 retained in placetherebetween by the bolts 6I slidably mounted in the yoke-plates 58 andretained therein by the cotters 62 and heads 63. The draw-bar mechanism49 comprising the parts 52' to 63 inclusive just described constitutes aunit slidably assembled be' tween the sills 41 on the sides and betweenthe bottom-plate I4 above and the plate 84 below removably attached tothe sills 41 by means of the bolts 65. For the purpose of locating therelative longitudinal position of the draw-bar mechanism 49 and totransmit the draw bar pull to the vcar I8 the outer pair of yoke-plates58 engage the pull-blocks 68 riveted to the sills 41. Reinforcng thesills 41 at this point are the angle bar braces 61, the angle bar braces68, and the transverse channel bar 69. For the purpose of giving initialtension to the compression springs 6D and to maintain the draw-barmechanism in its normal relative longitudinal position the inner pair ofyoke-plates engage normally the stop-blocks 10 riveted to the sills 41in such spaced relation relative to the pull-blocks 65 that the desiredinitial compression of the spring Si! is obtained. Reinforcing the sills41 at this point are the plate 1I, the angle bar braces 12, and thetransverse channel bar 13. Additional bracing of the sills 46 and 41 ateach end of the car I8 comprises the transverse channel bar 14, and theangle bar brace 15. The cantilever brackets 15 are additional bracingsupplied to the open front end, being riveted on their inner ends toVthe sills 46 and on their outer ends are riveted to the lower end ofthe end stake 45 as shown in Fig.` 2. It

should be noted here that no ioor riveting has been shown in Figs. 9, 10and 1l. Also, for convenience sake, a detail showing the rear car end 2|connection to the floor construction by means of the angle 22 has beenincluded in Fig. 1l..

The wheels 58 are rotatably mounted in pairs on the axles 11. The axles11 have xedly mounted thereon the inside pedestal bearings 18 which arevertically slidably mounted in the pedestals 19.

The pedestals 19 are attached to the outer floor sills 46 in pairs, twopairs to a sill. Each pedestal 19 comprises a pressed steel platebracket 80 with a bearing wear-plate 8I riveted thereto. The brackets 88are riveted to the under side of the sills 46, each with its wear-plate8| opposed to and engaged with a suitably iianged4 side of a pedestalbearing 18, and thus act to x laterally the wheels and axles in the carI0. The riveting at each of the brackets 80 tothe oor sills 46 embracesa spring locating strip 82 and the outer ends of the transverse sillreinforcing strips 83 and 84. The strips 83 and 84 extend transverse theunder sides of the floor sills 46 and 41 and in addition to the rivetingof the sills 46 are also riveted to the sills 41. The spring locatingstrips 82 have depressions 85 formed therein which act as centeringmeans for the compression springs 86. The compression springs 85 aremounted in suitable'recesses81 in the pedestal bearings 18 and react'against the spring locating strips 82. The springs86 are designed sothat the reaction of all the springs combined acting against the liloorsills 46 is sufficient to carry the weight Aof a loaded car withoutfully compressing the springs 86, thus leaving a margin for absorbingshocks. To maintain the pedestal bearings 18 in their normal positionunder the combined spring load and to further strengthen the pedestalconstruction, ythe pedestal tie bars 88 connect each pair of thebrackets 80 by being attached to the underside thereof by' the bolts 89.The outer vertical faces of the brackets 80 are riveted to the-braceplates 90 and 9| riveted to the vertical web of the outer sills 46. Forfurther reinforcing the pedestal construction the cantilever brackets92, similar to the cantilever brackets 16, are included in the rivetingof the brace plates 90, the bottom-plate |4, and the bottom of theintermediate stakes 45.

Extending transversely of the underside of the car body at the centerare additional reinforcing members 93, 94, 95 and 96 that are similarinstructure and function to the channel bar 69, the angle bars 61, thechannel bar 14, and the angle bar 15, respectively, hereinbeforedescribed.

The brake mechanism 5| is arranged to be operated from either side ofthe rear end of the car by mans of the levers 91 and 98. The operatinglevers 91 and 98 are pivotally mounted upon the brackets 99 by suitablemeans such as the bolts |00. The brackets 99 are riveted to the outsideof the plate 2| and as shown are flanged U-shaped castings or forgings.The upper ends of the levers 91 and 98 are guided and their pivotalmovement limited by the guide ratchets |0I which are riveted to theoutside of the plate 2| and are provided with suitable toothed notches|02 which, in a well known manner, are adapted to engage toothed edges|03 on the levers 91 and 98 to retain the latter in their brakedposition. The levers 91 and 98 in their normal unbraked position areinclined toward the vertical center of the plate 2| and are operated forbraking, as already stated, from either side of the rear of car l0. Itis equally desirable that both the levers 91 and 98 may be disengagedfromreither side of the car l0, and this I provide for by pivotallymounting the releasing crank |04 in the bearings |05 and |06 attached tothe rear endplate 2|. The releasing crank |04 has the cranked portions|01 and the handles |08, both of which in their normal position hangdownward due to gravity. In this normal position the cranked portions|01 engage the inside of the levers 91 and 98 when the latter are intheir engaged or braked position. To disengage the levers 91 and 98 itis readily seenthat it is only necessary to operate the releasing crank|04 from either side by means of the handles |08 to force the crankedportions |01 against the levers 91 and 98 until the latter aredisengaged from the guide ratchet notches |02. In order that the brakemechanism 5| may be operated from either side of the car I0 it isnecessary that the two levers 91 and 98 be linked together to move inunison in opposite directions. This I accomplish by means of the forkedend link |09 which is pivotally attached to an extension ||0 on thelever 91 below its pivotal point A|00 and tothe lever 98 above itspivotal point |00. Each of the levers 91 and 98 are pivotally connectedabove their pivotal points |00 to the inner end of link The outer endsof the links are pivotally attached to the upwardly extending crank arms||2 of the brake shafts ||3. The brake shafts ||3 extend along the rearhalf of the underside of the car l0 in the corners formed by the outsidevertical face of the sills 46 and the bottom plate I4. To permit ofrotational movement the shafts ||3 are loosely mounted in bearingbrackets ||4 and ||5 riveted to the rear end of the sills 46 and bottomplate I4 and in bearing brackets ||6 riveted to the plates 9|. Theshafts ||3 are xed longitudinally in their bearings by means ofshoulders ||1 engaging opposed faces in the bearing' brackets I5 and H6.The forward ends of the shafts ||3 terminate in crank arms ||8 havingpivotal attachment to the upper end of the yoked links ||9. The lowerends of the yoked links I |9 act as the pivotal connections for theupper ends of the toggle links |20. The lower ends of the toggle linksare pivotally attached to the brake shoes |2| which in turn arepivotally supported at their upper ends by the lower ends of the hangerlinks |22. The hanger links |22 at their upper ends are pivotallysupported by the angle brackets |23 attached to the car bottom bysuitable means |24. The operation of the brake shoes |2| by means of theshaft ||3"and connecting parts is self evident and need not be hereinfurther described.

The bumpers 52 are formed by extending the floor sills 46 and 41 beyondthe ends of the floor plates and joining the extended ends of the floorsills together in pairs on each side of the longitudinal center line ofthe car I0. As shown in Fig. 6 together with Fig. l, the ends of the oorsills 46 and 41 are joined together across the top by the plates |25 andacross the bottom by the plates |26, these plates extending outwardbeyond the ends of the floor sills 46 and 41. The outer end edges of theplates |25 and |26 are curved to correspond to the web contour of llerchannel bars |21 having inwardly directed flanges |28 which are rivetedto the plates |25l and |26. A reinforcing bar |29 is curved to fit theinterior of the web of the channel bar |21, and fitted inside of this isa wood filler block |30 which is embraced by the riveting of the channelbar |21 to the plates |25 and |26. Floor sill reinforcing bars |3|extends transverse of the floor sills 46 and 41 on the under sidethereof at each end and are riveted thereto just inside the bufferbottom plates |26.

Having thus described the structure of my mine car I will now describeits operation upon its assumed arrival at the tipple loaded and ready tobe unloaded. The car |0 as loaded is run onto a car tilting device atthe unloading point which may, in the tilting platform' type showndiagrammatically in Fig. 2, include stops |32 for the wheels 50. As thecar wheels 50 engage the stops |32 the arrested momentum of the loadedcar tends to tilt the car |0 and the platform |33 forward about thepivot pointV |34 until they come to rest at a suitable unloading angleby engaging a stop not shown. At the instant the car wheels 50 engagethe stops |32 the upper end 40 of the latch slide bar 36 comes intoengagement on its under side with the end |35 of the biased lever device|2 (shown diagrammatically) pivotally mounted to the structure |36 oi'the tipple. 'I'he action of the biased lever device I2 in engagementwith the latch slide bar 36 is such that as the car I0 tilts forwardabout the platform tilting point |34 the latch slide bar 36 is raised,relatively to its initial position on the front door 21, which actionresults in withdrawal of the latches 35 from engagement with the keeperplates 33. As the latches 35 disengage, the weight of the coal againstthe swinging door 21 causes the latter to swing outward and thus giveready exit to the unloading coal. As the car I0 continues to tiltdownward in its unloading operation after the latches 35 are disengagedand the door 21 has swung open, it is desirable that the biased leverdevice |2 having done its work be disengaged. This is brought about bythe outward sloping edges 42 of the cam bracket 4| engaging the end |35of the biased lever and gradually disengaging the latter from the latchslide bar end 40. When the point of disengagement is reached as shown indotted lines in Fig. 2 the latch slide bar 35 drops due to the action ofgravity to its initial position shown in Figl. This also returns thelatches 35 to their'initial position. When the car is unloaded and isreturned to a horizontal position, the door 21 tends, due to the actionof gravity, to return to its closed position, and this return movementbrings the outer ends of the latches 35 into engagement with the slopingedges |31 of the keeper plates 33. Since the latches 35 are pivotallyattached to the latch slide bar 36 at 31 they are free to rise along theslopes |31 in the guides 34 until the door becomes closed when thelatches 35 then drop into latched engagement with the keeper plates 33as shown in Fig. 2. The car l is then again ready to be loaded.

Although I have described and illustrated rny invention in considerabledetail, I do not Wish to be limited to the exact and specic detailsthereof, as shown and described, but may use such modifications in,substitutions for or equivalents thereof, as are embraced within thescope of my invention or as pointed out in the claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by `Letters Patent is:

1. In a mine car structure, laterally spaced longitudinal channel sillsarranged in pairs, the ends of the sills extending beyond the ends ofthe car body, car bumpers each comprising an upper and a lowerhorizontally disposed plate riveted to the extended ends of each pair ofsills and extending outwardly therefrom, a bumper channel having itsflanges riveted to the extensions of said plates and its web forming anedge closure between said plates, a wood illler block enclosed by thesills and said plates and embraced by the riveting of said plates tosaid bumper channel, and a reinforcing plate vertically abutting theinner face of theV web of said bumper channel and the outer face of saidwood ller block.

2. In a mine car, laterally spaced longitudinal sills, and axle pedestalbearings comprising, one piece pedestal brackets arranged in spacedrelation in pairs, each bracket composed of a vertical longitudinallydisposed web, a vertical flange, and horizontal upper and lower flanges,v`the said flanges extending laterally toward the longitudinal center ofthe car, the upper flanges of each pair. attached to a sill, and thevertical flange of each pair disposed in opposition to one another, wearplates attached to the opposed faces of the vertical flanges, a barattached to the lower flanges of each pair, and a'verticallongitudinally disposed plate 'attached to each bracket and to theadjacent sill, the said plate extending beyond the bracket along thesill on that end opposed to the vertical flange.

3. In a mine car, laterally spaced longitudinal sills, and axle pedestalbearings comprising, one piece pedestal brackets arranged in spacedrelation in pairs, each bracket composed of a vertical longitudinallydisposed web, a vertical flange, and horizontal upper and lower flanges,the said flanges extending laterally toward the longitudinal center ofthe car, the upper flanges of each pair attached to a Ys ill, and thevertical flange of each pair disposed in opposition to one another, abar attached to the lower ilanges of each pair, and a verticallongitudinally disposed plate attached to each bracket and to theadjacent sill, the said nal center of the car, the upper ila-ngesfofeach pair attached to a sill, and the vertical flange of each pairdisposed in opposition to one another, wear plates attached to theopposed faces of the vertical flanges, a bar attached to the lowerflanges of each pair, and a vertical longitudinally disposed plateattached to each bracket and to the adjacent sill.

5. In a mine car, laterally spaced longitudinal sills, and axle pedestalbearings each comprising,

reinforcing plates attached tothe outer face of a sill in verticallongitudinal spaced relation, two one-piece pedestal brackets eachbracket having a vertical longitudinally disposed web attached to theinner face `of a reinforcing plate, and laterally extending flanges, ofwhich the upper flange is attached to a sill, a vertical flange of eachbracket in opposition with a Vertical flange of the other bracket, wearplates attached to the inner opposed faces of the vertical flanges, apedestal bar attached at its ends to the lower flanges of each bracket.

6. In a mine car, laterally spaced longitudinal sills, and axle:pedestal bearings each comprising, reinforcing plates attached to theouter face of a sill in vertical longitudinal spaced relation, two

one-piece pedestal brackets each bracket having a vverticallongitudinally disposed web attached to the inner face of a reinforcingplate, rand laterally extending flanges, of which the upper flange isattached yto a sill, a Vertical flange of each bracket is in oppositionwith a vertical flange of the other bracket, a pedestal bar attached atits ends to the lower flanges of each bracket,V

WALTER H. STATLER.

